The Cenacle is the reputed site of Jesus' last supper, but it also resonates with Jews as the tomb of King David and with Muslims as the place of a 16th century mosque. Pope Francis is scheduled to hold a mass at the site during his visit to Jerusalem, raising fears among some Orthodox Jews that the Israeli government may be considering turning portions of the site over to the Vatican.

"As soon as they touch the 'status quo' of this place, bad things will happen," rabbi Avraham Goldstein told AFP.

The pope's upcoming visit has highlighted religious tensions over holy sites in Jerusalem and the mistrust that exists in the region among the Abrahamic faiths.

"When 'the crusaders' come here making the sign of the cross and all kinds of rituals, this place will become idolatrous for us, and we will not have the right to pray there any more," ultra-Orthodox Jewish protester Yitzhak Batzon told AFP.

Several Jerusalem churches have also been defaced with anti-Christian graffiti in recent weeks, pointing to what some are calling a "wave of fanaticism and intimidation against Christians" in Israel.

Palestinian women perform Friday prayers outside Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock, which is at the center of the Temple Mount, a site holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Jewish worshippers covered with prayer shawls take part in a special priestly blessing for Passover at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City on April 9, 2012. HaKotel, as it's known in Hebrew, is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple's courtyard. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Christian pilgrims hold candles at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Old City Saturday, May 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

View of Mount Zion from Abu Tor. The site hosts a number of landmarks -- the Dormition Abbey, King David's Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper -- and is referenced many times in Scripture.

This mosque is the third holiest site in the world for Muslims.

Used as a Jewish cemetery for more than 3,000 years, the Mount of Olives is holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Exterior of the Dormition Abbey, Dormition Sancta Maria, built at the beginning of the 20th-century on the site where, according to Christian tradition, Saint Mari fell into an everlasting sleep on Mount Zion.

Christian pilgrims carry a cross along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Suffering) in Jerusalem's Old City during the Good Friday procession on March 29, 2013. Thousands of Christian pilgrims took part in processions along the route where according to tradition Jesus Christ carried the cross during his last days. (GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images)

The Mosque of Omar is located opposite the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

At the foot of the Mount of Olives, the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, also known as the Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Mary, is where Eastern Christians think the mother of Jesus is buried.

Believed to be the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed before Jesus' crucifixion, the Garden of Gethsemane is located at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

The street where Jesus is believed to have carried the cross.
Photo: A Christian worshiper carries a wooden crucifix along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Suffering) during the Good Friday procession on March 29, 2013 in Jerusalem's Old City, Israel. Good Friday is celebrated by Christians throughout the world as the day Christ was crucified on the cross in the lead up to his resurrection on Easter. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

A Christian woman holds a candle inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, May 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

The Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, is located in Jerusalem's Old City. HaKotel, as it's known in Hebrew, is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple's courtyard.
(MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/GettyImages)

Tourists visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem's Old City, Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)